ifill: here at the table with us. >> ifill: here at the table with us-- where they will be all night tonight-- are syndicated columnist mark shields and new york times" columnist david brooks. mark shields, what is the path to 270, that magic total of electoral votes that somebody needs in order to become president of the united states. >> all barack obama has to do is win the states he won last time. everyone of the states that battle ground state is state he carried last time. we'll find out. last time he had advantage in a strange way. that was hillary clinton because he was able to organize in those states in the primaries and establish an organization and establish financial advantage which held him far over john mccain. but i think, you know, i think that they know these states. he's campaigned in them before. that's his strength. for mitt romney obviously it's capitalizing on the economic discontent, the economic hurt still in the country, the disappointment and the progress to recovery. >> ifill: david, what is your view? what do they each need to do? >> david: i'm focusing o